Only You
by hey.its.kat75
Summary: It's been 2 years since Olive and Fletcher have seen each other, and they're getting - well, antsy. When Fletcher tells Olive that at last one of his paintings will be put on display in the Art Museum, Olive decides to surprise him by flying out. But after two years, things just aren't quite the same. Disclaimer: I don't own ANT Farm. Rated T for sexual content and mild language.
1. Chapter 1 - Fletcher

I take a deep breath and look nervously outside the Z-Store. This won't be easy. These people have been my best friends for three years and I'm saying goodbye today. I'm not going to cry. I've already promised myself that.

Somehow, this all feels wrong. Somehow this isn't right...but I can't quite put my finger on it.

I figure it's now or never, so with all my emotional strength I carry my luggage out the door. Chyna, Angus, Lexi, and Mr. Grundy are right outside the door. Chyna looks at me strangely as I walk in front of her with my suitcase.

"Well, bye," I say.

"What?" Asks Chyna, confused.

"I'm moving to New York." I answer simply.

"You took the fellowship?" Asks Chyna after a moment.

I set down my luggage in response and give a slight nod.

"So...you're really not coming back to the A.N.T. Farm with us?" Asks Chyna sadly.

"Look, it's an incredible opportunity," I say, forcing my lips to form words. "And even my parents said I should go. I'm going to be living in Brooklyn with my Grandma Dottie."

Chyna smiles and nods.

Then Angus steps closer from behind me. "Fletcher," he says, "not only are you my best friend, but I've loved being roommates with you this year."

That just about does it. I force a sad smile even though I feel like I'm about to cry.

"And if you ever decide that New York isn't for you," he continues, "our room will always be there." Then he hugs me.

"Of course your bed will be gone and replaced with a soft pretzel machine," Angus states.

"I know," I say. "You did that two months ago."

Angus shrugs. Then I turn to Chyna, who looks like she has something to say. Before she can, however, Lexi cuts her off.

"Fletcher," says Lexi. I turn around to face her. "You and I never got to know each other really well back at school. Thank you for that."

"You're welcome?" I lean in for a hug, but Lexi stops me.

"Whoa," she says, putting her arms in front of her to prevent me from traveling any farther. "I barely know you."

I shrug it off as Lexi walks inside the Z-Store. Then I turn to Chyna again. This is going to be the hardest.

She smiles and I walk over to her with my lips pressed together.

"Fletcher," she says. "From the day you showed up at my house in a top hat and monocle, I knew I wanted you to be my friend forever."

There's a pause where I feel like I may cry again.

"I can't believe we're saying goodbye," she says finally.

"I don't care where I am," I say, "you're always going to be a part of my life."

She smiles and looks at the ground.

"I wouldn't be who I am if it weren't for you," I continue.

"What do you mean?" Chyna asks, an expression of genuine confusion on her face.

"When you first arrived at the A.N.T. Farm, I was this scared little kid. And you were so...so confident and fearless. You made me not be afraid." I say. "And, now I'm moving to New York! By myself! I really don't know how I'm going to do it without you." I mean every word I say.

Chyna smiles and chuckles sadly. She sniffles and then leans in for a hug. I accept it, and rest my face into her shoulder. She smells like peppermint. A tear falls on her jean jacket. Then she pulls away.

"Oh, don't worry," says Chyna, wiping away tears of her own. "You'll find another girl to obsess over for years and then completely forget about so you can date her best friend."

I wipe one of her tears off of her face. "You know, I never thought Olive and I would get together, but once we did, I've never felt anything so real." My heart feels heavy as I talk about Olive. "I guess I was the only one who felt that way."

I'll always love Olive. I don't care if she loves me back or not. I don't care how far or close she is to me. I love her. And I never won't. If only it would have worked out. If only...

My thoughts are interuppted by a violent sobbing coming from behind Chyna.

"I think that garbage can is crying," Mr. Grundy points out. "I really should have given myself a lunch break today."

Chyna lifts the top of the garbage can and Olive pops up. Olive snorts, running snot all the way up her arm.

"Olive? What are you doing in here?" Asks Chyna.

"Just...making sure Fletcher really leaves because I hate him so much," she says, sobbing.

"Wait." I walk toward the garbage can. "Did you break up with me just so I wouldn't miss this opportunity?"

"Maybe," Olive says, tears still streaming down her rosy cheeks.

"Thank you, Olive. I love you, too." I bend down and awkwardly try to hug the garbage can.

A car horn interrupts our hug, and I stand up. Grandma Dottie gets out of her car and waves at me. I wave back.

"Whoa. Grandma Dottie is Grandma Hottie," says Angus.

"She's actually my step-grandmother." I explain. "My grandpa Zeke was loaded."

"So she's a widow who likes wealthy men?" Asks Mr. Grundy. "Maybe I'll move to New York." He starts toward Grandma Dottie but she waves him away.

"Nah," he says. "I'd miss you guys too much."

I turn and hug Olive (who has climbed out of the trash can) and Chyna.

Then Grandma Dottie gestures for me to get in the car.

"Well. I'll miss you a lot. I promise to text you guys," I say, letting go of the hug. I wipe a tear from my cheek as I walk toward the car.

"Fletcher, wait." Olive says from behind me. I turn to face her. "Are you sure about this?" She asks.

"It's a dream come true, but if it hurts you too much, I'll stay." I say after a moment.

"You'd give up your dream for me?" She asks. "That's so sweet."

She grabs my hand and pulls me close. "But this is a huge opportunity. And I'd be a terrible person if I tried to take it away from you."

I smile. "Thank you," is all I can say.

I hug her again, and then start to leave. My hand is still in her grasp, however, so she pulls me back and kisses me. Her lips taste like strawberries and her hair, which is swept in my face, smells like coconut.

It's a while before we separate.

"I love you," she whispers. "Always have, always will."

"I love you, too," I say. "I'll never forget you, Olive Daphne Doyle, as long as I live."

I'm finally able to load my luggage into Grandma Dottie's car and Olive, Chyna, Angus, and Mr. Grundy wave at the car until we turn the corner and are out of sight.

I can't stop thinking about the kiss. It was sweet. It was long. It was...perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better moment. It was our first real kiss.

My biggest fear, however, is that it was also our last.


	2. Chapter 2 - Fletcher

**2 years later**

"No!" Shreiks Maggie. "No, no, no! We can't put this in our museum! The frame clashes with the color of the painting, the brush strokes are all wrong, and the colors contrast too much!"

"Um, the colors barely contrast at all," I point out.

"Well then they don't contrast enough!"

I groan. "Well, what do you want me to paint? Tell me and it'll make this so much easier."

Maggie thinks for a moment. "I don't know what I want, but I'll know when I see it."

I roll my eyes. "You know, it's been two years and I still haven't hung up a single piece of artwork. I'm seriously considering moving back to Cali."

"Oh, sweetie," Maggie says as if I don't understand. "Your contract isn't up for another three years."

"Oh, right." I laugh sarcastically. "Lucky me!"

"Fletcher, you need to wow me before I even consider hanging one of your paintings up." Maggie says. "Paint...something inspiring. Unique. Completely your own."

"What do you mean?"

"Fletcher, I know what the problem is. You're trying to copy other famous artists. Be yourself. Your paintbrush is merely a vehicle that carries your soul to the canvas. Think big, honey. And let me know when you do."

Then Maggie waltzes right out of the museum lobby, leaving me and my landscape art piece of Z-Tech alone. I sigh.

Then my phone chimes. It's a text from Olive.

_Any news?_

_Yeah, but it's bad news. Another painting rejected_. I reply.

_:( awh. That sucks. Fingers crossed for the next one._

_Yeah. _is all I can say. The thing is, I don't have a next one. I don't have a plan B. I'm the kind of person who wings it all the time. I don't have a plan. I can't help feeling like a failure.

•••

I take the subway to Grandma Dottie's place, my painting under my arm.

"Whoa!" Says a little girl on the subway. "Did you paint that?"

I nod.

"You're a really good painter," she says.

I smile. I needed that. "Thank you! What's your name?"

"I'm Riley." She says, beaming.

"Do you paint, Riley?" I ask her.

"Yeah, but not as good as that."

"Well, maybe someday you'll be able to paint something even better than this!"

"You really think so?" Riley asks.

"If you keep practicing, you bet." I say with a smile.

Riley jumps up and down. "Awesome!"

"You know what? Here, take the painting. I've got plenty more at home." I say, handing her the canvas.

She gasps. "Thank you!" She says. Then, carrying my painting, she runs to the other side of the subway, crying, "Mommy! Mommy!"

I smile. Riley's blond hair and fair complexion reminds me of Olive.


	3. Chapter 3 - Olive

Empty. That's the only word that comes to mind when I try to describe the A.N.T. Farm. I never knew that the absence of one person could make so much of a difference.

Chyna shares my opinion, apparently. Just after Fletcher left, I remember her saying: "Man, it's weird being in the A.N.T. Farm without Fletcher."

"Yeah," I said. It was too painful to say anything else.

"You doing okay?" She asked.

"Yeah," I lied, my voice cracking a bit. "I mean I miss him, but I guess it'll be just us single ladies now."

Chyna chuckled.

"We should do pretty well," I said, even though I was not going to even think about dating anyone but Fletcher. "I'm zaz-ow and you're...zaz-okay."

Chyna rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm cool with some girl time. Just me and you." Then she hugged me.

As we were separating, the elevator dinged.

"Oh man, this school is on point! Do you guys have a yoga studio?" Asked a voice.

HUDSON. HUDSON WAS HERE. OF ALL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, IT HAD TO BE HUDSON. Something told me right then and there that Chyna wasn't going to be single very long.

But apparently I was wrong.

Because two years later here we are by ourselves in our room painting nails in a very singley way.

I'm putting a coat of lime green on Chyna's nails when she asks, "What do you think of Hudson?"

"He's alright. Why? Do you liiiiiiiiike him?"

"Ew! No! Okay, maybe a little." Chyna admits.

I eye her suspiciously.

"Okay, maybe a lot."

I smile. I can't usually get the truth out of Chyna. "So, are you going to ask him out?"

"Hell no," says Chyna. "The truth is, I've never had a serious boyfriend or went out on a real date."

"What about that acting protidgy who got around in a robot's body?" I ask.

"You mean Nigel?" Chyna asks. "Olive, that was when we were eleven. Plus, Fletcher and my dad totally hijacked that date."

"But at least you asked him out," I say, blowing on Chyna's nails. "That does give you some credit."

"I guess you're right."

"You know what? I'll talk to Hudson." I say. "I'll remind him subtly that you're available."

"Yeah, you don't really do subtle."

I roll my eyes. "You can trust me, Chyna."

"Okay, but don't do anything stupid." She says with a wink.


End file.
